Automatic-switching for operator&#39;s telephone.



"UNITED raras rAN'r Enron.

RICHARD I. UT'IER, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, assIsNoR To IIELLOGG swI'rcHBoARD AND SUPPLY COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A conronATIoN or ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC-SWITCHING OPERATORS TELEPHONE. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.'

Application led October 1, 1913. SeriaINoQ 792,716.v

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD I. UTTER,

automatically switched into association with another operators telephone, an object of my invention being to provide a system of this character having asimplifled circuit arrangement which is positive in its operation.

In connection with telephone switchboards employing more than a single operator, there are times when one operator may handle the connections at her own and an adjacent position so that when an operator leaves her position it is necessary to switchthe cord circuits of the retiring operator into association with the operators telephone at an adjacent position. Manually operable switching keys have been provided for this purpose but this means that one of the operators must actuate such key before switching the cords. It sometimes occurs that an operator will fail to actuate such a switching key which results in confusion when connections are attempted. To obviate these disadvantages I have provided an automatic switching circuit so arranged that when Aan operator disconnects her telephone from the cord circuits at her position, said cord circuits are automatically associated with an adjacent or other operators telephone.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in which I have shown operators v cord circuits 7 associated with the common conductors 9, 10, which extendl to the operators telephone, O. i Y equipment similar to the 'equipment of position A is shown at positionB, the corresponding parts being indicated by like reference characters with the addition of the sufx prime at `position B. The common talking conductors 9, 10 of each position are also adapted to extend to the outgoing switching conductors 1`1,'12,.which conductors extend to Janother operators position. Thus when an operator has the plug P of her set 2 3 in the associated jack J, the associated switching relay 6is operated to disconnect the conductors 11, 12 leading to the other operators position, this operation of the switching relay also conneotingthe common conductors 9, 10 of her cord circuits to her telephone O. Should the operator disconnect her set 2-3 from the operators jack J, the associated switching relay 6 is restored whereby her telephone O is discon- I nected from the conductors 9, 1 0, of the cord circuits at hernposition, and said conductors 9, 10 are connected vto the outgoing switching y erators position, who by maintaining her telephone O1 connected also maintains the cord circuits of the retiring operators position vin association therewith.

Referring now more particularly to the operation of the switching circuit, assuming conductors 11, 12, which lead'toanother opthat the operator at position A has her apparatus l2, 3 operatively associated by the plug I, in the operators jack J, a circuit for the switching relay 6 is established kfrom grounded battery 1, conductor 5, transmitter 3, the winding of the-'combined impedance coil and switching relay (3," to battery causing the energization of said relay 6 and closing alternate contacts 13, 14. The closingv of said contacts connects the vcommon talking conductors 9, 10 incircuit with the receiver 2 and induction coil 1, so that the operatory by actuating'any of her listening keys Smay Y connect her telephone in circuit with one of her cord circuits 7, The operation of relay 6 also disconnects the outgoingswitching conductors 11, 12 by the interruption of normal contacts 13, 1&1. "Should the operator at the'associated position B 4be employed at this time, the plug P1 would be in the jack J1 so that the switching relay 61 would be energized and her outgoing switching conductors 111,V 121, disconnected. Thus, it will be seen that with the opeators at both positions A and B employed, the telephones Ov and O1 are not connected.

Assuming now that the operator at position B withdraws the plug P1 from the jack J1 as indicated in the drawing, the circuit for switching relay 61 is interrupted, interrupting the alternate contacts 181, 1-l1 to disconnect the operators telephone O1 and closing normal contacts 131, 141, to connect the outgoing switching conductors 111, 121 to the operators telephone at position A, whereby the cord circuits .71 at position B may be connected in circuit with operators telephone O by the actuation of a key 81. As soon as the operator at position B again inser-ts the plug P1 into the jack J1, the associated switching relay 61 is energized to connect her telephone O1 in circuit withher cords B and to disconnect the outgoing'switching conductors 111, 121.

Assuming now that both of the operators are employed and that the operator at position A withdraws her plug P from its jack J, the associated switching relay 6 is denergized whereby the telephone O is disconnected at alternate contacts 18, 14- and the outgoing switching conductors 11, 12 connected to her cord circuit conductors 9, 10, through normal contacts 13, 14 whereby the operators telephone O1 at position B may 'be connected with any of the cords at position A. It will be apparent from the above that upon an operator ,disconnecting a plug `and jack the cord circuits at herA position are automatically switched into association with the operators telephone-at a second position.

In Villlllstrating my invention I have chosen standard apparatus such as the operators plugs and jacks P and J, and also a standard form of opera-tois telephone O but I contemplate applying my invention in other ways-than that shown, as my invention is not limited to the particular arrangement disclosed.

Having .described my invention what I now claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1, A switching system comprising operators link circuits divided into groups, an operators telephone for each 0f Said groups, a source of current adaptedy to be included in circuit with ksaid operators telephones, an .operators switch individual to each telephone for connecting or disconnecting its` associated telephoneY and .said source .of current, and means controlled by an actuationof one of said switches for operatively connecting the link circuits of one of said grou-ps with the operators telephone -of another of said groups.

2. A` switching system comprising operators telephones, link circuits associated withV each of said telephones, a source of `current adapted to be connected in circuit with said telephones, a plug switch individual to each telephone for connecting and disconnecting its associated telephone and said source of current, and means operative accordingto the connecting or disconnecting position of one of said plug switches for automatically connecting its associated link circuits and its associated operators telephone or for connecting its associated link circuits and the operators telephone associated with another of said groups of link circuits.

3. A switching system comprising operators positions, an operators telephone and associated link circuits at each position, a source of currentI provided with circuit connections extending to each position, an operators switch individual to each telephone for connecting and disconnecting its associated telephone and said source of current via said circuit connections, and means controlledby an actuation of one of said switches for operatively connecting the link circuits atj two ot said positions with one of said operators telephones. y

1. A switching system comprising a pluality of operators positions, an operators telephone and associated link circuits at each of said positions, a plug switch individual to each telephone for connecting and disconnecting its associated telephone with a current supply source, `and means operative according to the connecting or disconnecting position of one of said plug switches for automatically connecting or disconnecting the link circuits of one of said groups with the operators telephone associated with said plug switch.

A switching system comprising operators positions, an operators telephone and associated link circuits at each position, talking'v conductors connecting each telephone and its associated link circuits, an operators switch individual wto each telephone for connecting and disconnecting its associated telephone with said talking' conductors, and means operative according to the connecting or disconnecting position oi one of said switches for automatically connecting and disconnecting its associated vtelephone and talking conductors and dis- .ciated telephone with a source of current 1 supply, means responsive to a connecting operation of one of said switches to connect its associated telephone and talking conductors, and means responsive to a disconnecting operation of said switch for disconnecting said telephone from said talking conductors and connecting said talking conductors to the outgoing switching conductors. i y

'7. A telephone system comprising a plurality of operators link circuits divided into groups, an operators telephone associated with each group of link circuits and adapted to be connected to the link circuits of its groups, means for operatively associating or disassociating an operators telephone with `its group of link circuits, and means responsive to the disassociation of an operators telephone from its group of link circuits for operatively associating said link circuits with a second one of said operators telephones.

8. A telephone system comprising a plurality of operators link circuits divided into groups, an operators telephone associated with each group of link circuits and adapted to be connected to the link circuits of its groups, means for operatively disassociating one of said operators telephones from its group of link circuits whereby said group of link circuits is operatively associated with a second one of said operators telephones.

9. A switching system comprising operators link circuits divided into groups, an operators telephone for each group of link circuits, an operator-s switch individual to each telephone for connecting and disconnecting its associated telephone and its associated group of link circuits, and a switching relay individual to each telephone and controllable by one of said switches for automatically. connecting and disconnecting the link circuits of another of said groups with its associated link circuits.

l0. A switching system comprising operators positions at a switchboard, a group of operator-s link circuits at each position, an operators telephone for each group of link circuits, an operator-s switch individual to each telephone for connecting and disconnecting an operators telephone and its associated group of link circuits, and a switching relay operative according'to the connecting or disconnecting position of one of said switches for automatically connecting and disconnecting its associated operators telephone and the link circuits at another of Y said positions.

11. A telephone system including a group of operators link circuits, an operators telephone associated with said link circuits, an operator-s switch for associating and disassociating the said link circuits and said operators telephone, a second group of link circuits, and means responsive to an operation of said switch for also associating the said'second group of link circuits with the said operators telephone.

12. A telephone system including a group of link circuits and an operators telephone associated therewith, an operators switch for connecting and disconnecting said operators telephone and said link circuits, a second group of link circuits and an operators telephone associated therewith, and means operative according to the connecting and disconnecting position of said'switch for associating and disassociating the said second group of link circuits and the said first operators telephone.

13. `A telephone system including an operators position provided with a group of link circuits, an operators telephone associated therewith, a plug switch for connecting and disconnecting said operators telephone and said link circuits, a second group of link circuits at a second operators position, and means responsive to an operation of said switch :tor associating and disassociating the link circuits at one operators position with the link circuits at the other operators positions.

14. A telephone system including a plurality of operators positions, an operators telephone individual to each operators position, a coil individual to each operators position, a switch for disconnecting the telephone from said coil, a plurality of link circuits associated with each of said operators telephones, and means responsive to the operation of one of said switches for associating the link circuits associated with said switch with a second one of said operators telephones.

15. A telephone Vsystem including an operators position provided with an operators telephone, an induction coil and a retard coil, a switch for disconnecting the operators telephone from the said induction coil and retard coil, link circuits associated with said opcrators telephone, means responsive to the opening of the circuit of the retard coil for associating the link circuits associated with said operators telephone with a second operators telephone.

16. A telephone system including an operators position provided with a group of les of link circuits provided With an operators telephone, means for disassociating` said second group of link circuits and its telephone, and means controlled by the disassociation or" either of the operators telephones from its associated link circuits for operatively associating its link circuits with the other of said operators telephones.

18. A switching system comprising operators link circuits divided into groups, an operators telephone associated With each group of link circuits, an operators switch individual .to each telephone for connecting Witnesses. v

and disconnecting` the microphone of the telephone set7 and ineans controlled by an actuation of one of said switches for autoinatically connecting other than its associated link circuits With its associated operators telephone.

Signed by nie at Chicago, countyvof Cook and State of IllinoisLin the presence of two RICHARD I. UTTER.

Witnesses GEORGE E. MUELLER, M. R. RooHroRD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,v Washington, D. C. 

